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Dissenting POWs: From Vietnam's Hoa Lo Prison to America Today 2021
Dissenting POWs: From Vietnam's Hoa Lo Prison to America Today is a 2021 non-fiction book written by Tom Wilber and Jerry Lembcke, published by Monthly Review Press. The book explores the experiences of American prisoners of war who opposed the Vietnam War, challenging the traditional narrative about POWs. Wilber and Lembcke claim that earlier works have largely ignored those who dissented, and that this history has been deliberately hidden. They believe their book offers a space for future soldiers and civilians opposing U.S. military actions to find inspiration and support "in their efforts to end U.S. wars of aggression."
According to the book, the official account, as presented in P.O.W.: A Definitive History of the American Prisoner-of-War Experience in Vietnam, 1964–1973 and other early sources, portrays POWs as "stalwart warriors who resisted to the maximum under the most abominable and abusive conditions." However, by 1971, at least 30 percent and possibly as many as 50 percent of the prisoners had become disillusioned with the war and increasingly cynical about it.
The book has received favorable reviews from several critics (see Reception below for details).
Details
- Publisher
- Monthly Review Press
- ISBN
- 9781583679081
- Pages
- 160
